EMPLOYING MODERN TECHNIQUES IN STUDYING SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES IN SELECTED AREA OF NORTH WESTERN COASTAL REGIONS, EGYPT

Abstract

The study area is extending from Minqar Alousran at the east to Beer Qaaem at the west, Marsa Matrouh at the north to Jable Khaled at the south. The total studied area is about 345563.52 Fadden. Ninety eight soil profiles were selected representing the geomorphic units. The qualitative approach was used to land evaluation. Hydrological and morphometric characteristics have been obtained. Four main geomorphic units were identified: Coastal Plain, Northern Plateau, Southern Plateau and Lybian Plateau. The soils ranged from very shallow to very deep. The dominant soil texture is between sandy clay loam to sand. These soils are moderately to extremely calcareous. These soils are slightly to strongly alkaline. The studied soils in the geomorphic units are classified as follow: Lithic Haplocalcids, Typic Haplocalcids, Typic Torriorthents, Gypsic Aquisalids, Typic Calcigypsids, Lithic Torriorthents and Oxyaquic Torripsamments. Land evaluation for the studied soils. The study aimed also to predict annual peak flow and runoff water volume, as well as the 20, 10, 5, 3, and 2year return periods. Results referred that El-Hraka basin characterized by an area of 178.31km2, basin length of 33.70 km, perimeter of 132.8 km, and gentle slope of 0.012 m/m. There are four types of land use/land cover in the study basin named: agriculture land, bare land, rocky areas and urban representing 3.45, 92.98, 3.41 and 0.16% of El Hraka basin, respectively. There are two hydrologic soil group of the study basin A and C depending on the soil texture. The Curve Number (CN) depending on the land use / land cover and the hydrologic soil groups. Its average values are 73.67 for El-Hraka basin. The annual runoff water volumes are 10583.29 m3 that recharge the groundwater reservoir. However, the annual infiltration volumes are 8195.01m3. The peak flow of the 20, 10, 5, 3 and 2 year return periods flash flood is 29.24, 17.98, 9.50, 3.78 and 0.75 m3/s respectively. The runoff volume of the 20, 10, 5, 3 and 2 year return-periods is 2.78 million, 1.71 million, 906,578.6, 359,883and 69,989.4 m3 respectively for the study basin.